Calfe



UNITED STATES V PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH SMITH METCALFE, OF LEEDS, ENGLAND.

SPLINT FOR CORSET-BUSKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,865, dated February 4, 1896. Application filed August 19, 1895. Serial No 559,74=5. (No model.) Patented in England March 1, 1895, No. 4,397.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn SMITH MET- CALFE, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Leeds, in the county of York, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Splints for Corset-Busks, (for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 4,397, dated March 1, 1895,) of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are to strengthen new corset-busks and to repair and make good the fractures in broken pairs of such busks. I

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a broken corset-busk with my improved strengthening or repairing strips applied. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front View of my improved strengthening or repairing strips detached. Fig. 4 is a'front View of strengthening or repairing strips, showing same fluted.

My invention consists of supporting-strips made of steel or other suitable material, the narrow strip A being in front and the under strip A at the back of the busk, such strips being made plain (see Fig. 3) or fluted, (see Fig. 4,) or each one may be partly plain and fluted or wholly plain. I make the said strips in one piece, but doubled, the narrow stripA for the front and the under strip A for the back.

I make the front strip orplate narrower than the rear plate. One side edge of the front plate is arranged substantially in alignment with the corresponding edge of the rear plate, and the other side edge of the front plate is arranged in alignment with the middle portion of the rear plate, so that it will clear the fastening pins or studs of the busk when the splint is placed in position.

To apply the said strips the covering of the busk at the top end is simply opened and the said strips inserted, one strip, A,passing down on the front of the busk and the other down behind it.

By the use of my invention a new pair of busks can be strengthened and prevented from fracturing, or the said strips can be used for repairing or making good the fracture in a broken pair of busks, so that a new pair is not necessary. Consequently the broken busks do not require taking out and a new pairfitting in and resewing.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A splint for a corset-busk, comprising two spring-plates secured together at their upper ends, the front plate being narrower than the rear plate and having one of its side edges substantially in alignment with the corresponding side edge of the rear plate, and having its other side edge inalignment with the middle portion of the rear plate, substantially as shown.

JOSEPH SMITH METCALFE. Witnesses:

HERBERT DUNN, JABEZ Bonus. 

